Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-09-17
TO PREVENT IMPOSTURE UPON THE
CHARITABLE.

She died recently miserable death, in !
condition of apparent ab}ect poverty,
having really starved herself to death
while hidden in her room she had golden
coins in plenty stored away. She went
about in rags and begged from corner to
corner and, though she possessed thou
sands of dollars, denied herself the COM \
monest comforts of life. 1t is charity to
say that Mary Smith was insane. But her
insanity was of the order against which
society, according to its present methods,
docs not protect itself: One of the attri-
butes of sovereignty in community is
the rigfN to prevent its members being 4
preyed upon by the imposture of assumed |
poverty or unworthy Indulgence. Such
fraud is crime against the social organ
ization, and a cruel wrong to the deserving
poor As a result of Mary Smiths gross
imposition upon the charitable, thousands
! to whom the aims of the kindly-hearted
| would be more than heavenly benisons,
| must suffer, for there will be a withdrawal
| for a time of aid to many in Boston
who sorely need the mites that, under the
present system, are contributed upon the
streets 1t is true that the stern philoso-
ply of experience forbids indiscriminate
aims giving, and thousands of good men
and women whose secret charities are
bountiful and well disposed, sternly refuse
street beggars. Yet thousands of others
cannot resist the pleadings of apparent
want and give upon the highways, rather
than burden their souls with the reproach
that possibly by refusal they may deny
real suffering and add to the pangs Of the
starving. These, however. until the ease
of Mary Smith is forgotten, will summon
enough OF resolution to refuse the public
beggar.
This womans gross imposture empha-
sizes the need for concert of action among
all charitable associations in cities to pro-
tect themselves and the public against the
misery beggars, the rank cheat and the
undeserving who beg only to obtain means
to crafty slavish appctites. If, for in
stance, all the charities of Boston were
to unite and establish bureau of detec-
ton for mutual defense, cases Of fraud and
of street begging would become almost i'm
possible. By districting the city every
human habitation would be soon known to
the agency, and the condition of all the in
mates Of the homes occupied by the poor
would be aseertained. The facts would be
communicated daily to the several char
liable organizations. Givers of aims would
find it more convenient and satisfactory to
give through the agencies of the societies,
for they would soon learn that these organ
izations must know the actual condition of
all the poor in their several districts and
that the several central detective agencies
were unerringly informed concerning the
needy, and that street begging would in it
self be an evidence of imposture.
When the Convention Of Charities was
lseld in San Francisco last year the plan
here briefly outlined was presented by this
Journal and was favorably received, but
action was not had because in the mass of
subjects considered the idea did not obtain
sufficient hold to lead to that result. But
| it is clear that the scheme is feasible, and
thatstreet begging can be absolutely pre-
vented without invoking the agency of
stern, laws and the threat of severe penal
ties. The common action of all charitable
organizations would result, not only in the
suppression of street begging and thus pro-
aect the deserving poor against the diver
sion of charity, but it Nould protect the
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. against imposture
to which; they are now pat only subject,
hut of which they are the helpless
| victims. Fer, as soon n an applica-
ton for relief was made. with which
Sac society might not be familiar, it
| woald apply to the distrirs SENT agency
for information concerning the party and
fthe worthiaess of the claim made. If the
application came fren without the.district
the general central agency would sAe ap-
piled to, and 10 a fes moments at she ut
most the facts would be known Ii ID gas
wholly new ease of suffering and vart-
or there was any fear that the deteetiEs
agency had overlooked K, temporary re-
lief only would be given until the proper
ageacy could ascertaip and report the facts.
Tax vibrating Of imposters from one So
ciety 70 another with unworthy appeals
would uif,ler this system. become all but
impossible Professional meadicaats who
travel from city 10 city ard county 10
county would, Sith the oxtsnsisn Of the
systen, find their ovcupaiiaa goue :.
ii.lte 0. tie aliaf pqs wase,. upon uu-